RECONSTRUCTING ELEMENTARY TEACHER CANDIDATES UNDERSTANDING OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CONTENT

This paper examines the mathematics and science content knowledge of e lementary teacher candidates. Data are presented which demonstrate tha t many elementary teacher candidates enter teacher education seriously deficient in their understanding of the subject matter they will teac h to elementary students. The authors argue that these candidates are weakly prepared in content because of deficiencies in the pedagogy pra cticed in traditional didactic mathematics and science courses. They d escribe a conceptual approach to teaching mathematics and science cont ent and contrast this with a didactic approach. Data are presented whi ch demonstrate that these conceptual approaches significantly improved novice teachers understanding of content.